Can I correct information on a death certificate of a family member?

Yes, you can. You should contact the Births, Deaths and Marriages section of the Department of Internal Affairs(external link) for information about correcting the death certificate. You can call Births, Deaths and Marriages directly on 0800 22 52 52.

If you need access to the dead person’s health records, you can request this under rule 6 of the Health Information Privacy Code, if you are the executor or administrator of the will, or if you are the personal representative of that person.

If you are not given access to the information, you can lodge a Privacy Act complaint with our office. 

Updated November 2025